Intermittent search-light.



E. F. GIANNATTASIO.

INTERMITTBNT SEARCH LIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 7, 1910.

PatentedFeb. 3, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES z Cf 12' INVENTOR m, Ma ATTORNEY B. P. GIANNATTA SIO.

INTEEMITTENT SEARCH LIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 7, 1910.

1,086,040, Patnted Feb. 3; 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l||| Illllllllllllll mumm J0 INVENTOR COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH50.,WASMIN1I'PON. D. c.

E. P. GIANNATTASIQ- INTERMITTENT SEARCH LIGHT.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 7, 1910.

1,086,040. Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES E. P. GIANNATTASIO.

INTERMITTENT SEARCH LIGHT.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 7, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

WITNESSES IN VENTOR COLUMBIA PLANQGRAPH COHWASHINGTON, D. C.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

ETTORE F. GIANNATTASIO, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

INTERMITTENT SEARCH-LIGHT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

Application filed January 7, 1910. Serial No. 536,904.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ETTORE F. GIANNAT- TASIO,of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Intermittent Search- Lights, of which thefollowing is a full description, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in intermittent search-lights,although the in vention is applicable to other lamps where it isdesirable to obtain a very powerful flash-light, without employing asupply of electric current, its main object is to produce anintermittent intense light for sig naling through thick fogs fromvessels, locomotives and light-houses, without employing a supply ofelectric energy.

A further object of my invention is to produce a lamp in which a flamederived from any source of gas supply is employed, and in whichcombustion is promoted by automatically conveying a combustibleilluminant in the path of the flame.

Another object of my invention is to produce a lamp of this character inwhich the mechanism is simple and easily operated.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar reference characters indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of the lamp illustrating myinvention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section of the lamp, theview being taken at right angles to that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3illustrates in detail the means for intermittently operating thereceptacles which convey the combustible charges to the flame, and alsomeans for effectuating the distribution and agita tion of thecombustible as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a partly sectional plan viewof the lamp illustrating the flame which ignites the combustiblematerial, and Fig. 5 is a plan assembled view of the apparatus, showingthe form of a casing used in connection with the lamp.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the lamp is provided with a suitablesub-base plate 10 containing grooves 11 and 12 for permitting theball-bearings O to rotate freely, a plate 13 is secured to a base 14: bythe bolts 15 and while the said plate 13 is resting on the ball-bearingsthe apparatus can be easily revolved laterally. The plate 13 isrevolubly mounted on the sub-base 10 and is held thereto by the flange16 of the pivot stud 16.

As shown in Fig. 2 a handle 17 is provided, to enable the operator toflash a light in whichever direction he may choose, and by adjustingworm 18 toward stud 16 by means of a lever 19 the lamp can be set so,that the rays of light can be continuously directed in a certain path.

The base 14 as sectionally illustrated in Fig. 1, is preferably hollowso that some mechanism can be contained within it.

The drawing shows a conventional electric motor 20, but I have notdescribed its circuit because I claim nothing for it, as I do not limitthe invention to any precise form of motor, however, any means ofpropulsion can be substituted for put-ting in motion the gear 21, and Iwish it understood that the intervals between the flashes are mainlydetermined by the speed of the said gear-wheel 21 therefore, anysuitable induction coil or gearing can be applied to the motor shown, sothat the speed of the gear-wheel 22 can be reduced to about fourrevolutions per minute.

As the drawing shows, gear-wheel 22 is driven by the motor 20 meshingwith a mate 21, the latter having a depending shaft 23 on to which issecured a gear-wheel 24, said shaft 23 being supported by a bracket 23*.To provide for an intermittent intense light, I use a combustible powderwhich is automatically conveyed in the path of the flame 25 and isignited by the said flame, burning with a very powerful light. Toproduce the flame already referred to, I provide a tank 26 so that asupply of any compound which develops gases may be contained within it,such as calcium carbid, the said gases being conveyed to outlet 27through tubing 28.

To supply the charges of the combustible material, I provide a chamber29 for holding same, and while I do not limit myself to the particularcompound specified, I have found that an efficient compound of this kindis made of: sublimed sulfur 50%, bronze-powder 50%. In carrying out thisidea any suitable substance which will burn with a powerful light, andbe ignited by the gas flame can be substituted.

The chamber 29 already referred to can be placed at any convenient pointon the side of the lamp, and as the drawing shows the said chamber issupported on hood or casing 30, and the latter is mounted on a housing31. An agitator 32 is provided (see Fig. l) which stirs the combustiblepowder and allows the same to fall on a revolving piston or distributer33, provided with a groove or slot and the said combustible materialbeing of a very fine form, by its own gravity fills the said slot. Thisis effected each time the piston travels a full revolution upward, andwhile at the downward rotation the combustible drops out and throughoutlet 34 it falls into a carrier comprising one or more receptacles 35.I have not described in detail the said distributer, because it is anold method and can be modified to meet various requirements, and I donot limit the invention to such construction.

As the drawing illustrates the receptacles 35 are clamped to arms 36 ofthe bracket 37 the latter being keyed on a shaft 38, the saidreceptacles can be made of any suitable material that will stand a hightemperature, .such as porcelain. In order to effect an into provide fora momentary stop of the same each time they are revolved to outlet 34, Iprovide suitable cams which I will now disclose. As plainly shown inFigs. 1 to 3 a gear-wheel 24 drives a gear 40 which is fastened on to ashaft 41. a cam 39 is also secured to the said shaft, said cam meshingwith a mate 39 Each of the cams is provided with four teeth, but shouldit be desired to have a less number of receptacles, then in such a casethe number of teeth in the said cams should be varied accordingly. Theinterval of rest of the receptacles referred to, can be best determinedby the pitch and shape of the teeth 39 and 39 of the said cams. The gear40 which is secured on shaft 41, whenever it is put in motion, by themeshing of the cams, drives a gearand also drives a gear 42, abevel-gear 42 is secured on to the said gear meshing with a bevel-gear43 and the latter being secured to a shaft 44, which is supported by abearing 45. As illustrated a pulley 46 is fastened on the shaft 44 andby means of a belt 47 connects with a pulley 48, the latter putting inmotion the piston already referred to, and a pulley 49, is connected bymeans of a belt 50 with a pulley 51 which revolves the so calledagitator 32, while a pulley 52 by means of a belt 53 rotates anotherpulley 54, which connects with another agitator partly shown.

As far as the invention is concerned, I do not confine myself to theconnections which I have just described, but however, if the said beltsshould be found to slip and to not effect a rotation of the mechanismalready referred to, sprockets and endless chains can be easilysubstituted. The ratio of the described gearing is, one to four, thatis: each time the bevel-gear 42 is revolved onequarter of a revolutionby the gear 42, bevel-gear 43 being a one-quarter of the size of thediametral-pitch of the said bevelgear 42, it travels a one fullrevolution, thus effecting a full rotation of the distributer 33 andagitators.

To make the light more intense, I provide a reflector 55 behind thelight, and a lens 56 in front of it, and as shown in Fig. 4, the

be changed in many ways without departing from the principles of theinvention. termittent rotation of the receptacles, and

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent 1. In an intermittent searchlight, thecombination with a gas flame, of a plurality of receptacles, a feedhopper having a combustible illuminant, means for holding said receptacles successively adjacent said feed hopper, means in connectionwith said feed hopper and independent of said receptacles for feeding apredetermined quantity of the illuminant to each receptacle and arrangedSo as to prevent the escape of the illuminant from said holder when thereceptacle is removed therefrom, said receptacles being arranged topresent the lllummant contained therein to said gas flame.

2. In an intermittent Searchlight the combination with a gas flame, of aplurality of Wheel 42 which is fastened on a shaft 38,

receptacles, a bracket supporting said receptacles, means for revolvingsaid bracket and receptacles, a reservoir for combustible illuminantarranged to supply a predetermined amount of the same to thereceptacles, and means operatively connected with the bracketcontrolling the discharge of the illuminant into the said receptaclesand means for igniting the illuminant.

3. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising a set of cams, forrevolving a plurality of receptacles intermittently, means for droppingpredetermined charges of a combustion material into the saidreceptacles, and means for igniting same.

4. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising cams forintermittently operating a plurality of receptacles connected to abracket, said cams also actuating a suitable gear drive, the latteroperating a mechanism for supplying charges of a combustion compound tothe receptacles, said receptacles conveying the material to the flame.

5. In an apparatus of the kind described, comprising a base resting on asub-base plate, means for laterally revolving the same, a train of gearsbeing connected to the base, revolving a cam, the latter meshing with amate operating a plurality of receptacles in, connection with amechanism for controlling the distribution of a combustible illuminant,said illuminant being conveyed into the path of a gas flame.

6. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination of a sub-baseplate, a base plate rotatably mounted on said sub-base plate, means forrotating said base plate, a

bracket rotatably mounted on said base plate 15 flame and means forrotating said recepta- 20 cles into the path of said flame.

ETTORE F. GIANNATTASIO.

Witnesses:

NICHOLAS SMITH, JOSEPH GAROFALO.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of .Patenta. Washington, D. G.

